Motor-car screen.



J. F. & E. N. KENNEDY.

Patented Deo. 2, 1913.

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XTED STATES PATENT OFFlCE..

JEROME FRANCIS KENNEDY AND ERNEST NORBERT KENNEDY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MOTOR-CAR SCREEN.

Specieaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 20, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 655,656.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JEROME FRANCIS KENNEDY and ERNEST NORBERT KENNEDY, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Car Screens, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is an improved construction of wind or weather' screen specially designed for motor cars of the torpedo or scuttle type and so constructed as to enable it, when not required for use, to be readily folded up and housed or stowed away in the recess under the scuttle of the car, without being entirely disconnected from its mountings. Vith such type of motor cars it is desirable that the screen, when not in use, shall be capable of being folded or closed and disposed of out of the way in such a manner as to leave the top of the scuttle clear and free from obstruction, and this has sometimes been effected by hinging or folding the screen longitudinally and laying it in its folded flat state on the top of the scuttle. This arrangement has its disadvantages, among others that it exposes the folded screen to the weather and to the dust and mud, etc., during the travel of the car. It has not hitherto been attempted to dispose and shelter the screen, when not in use, in the space under the scuttle, owing to the difliculty of moving it from its upright position past the steering wheel, which latter is generally positioned close up to the scuttle and therefore leaves little or no free space through which the screen can be passed. According to this invention we obviate this difficulty in the following manner.

Our invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings in which- Figure 1 iis an elevation in full lines of the screen fixed in position for use and mounted on a fixed ail, the edge of the scuttle being shown in dotted lines. Other dotted lines show the posit-ion of the screen when the two leaves have been folded together' and partly turned over upon the sliding hinge joint which has been moved along the rail. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a side view showing the position of the screen after it has been completely folded and turned over on its hinge oint and swung under the scuttle, where it is supported by a clip or forli.

W e form the screen l of two or three parts or leaves hinged together vertically at 2, at the middle or at two equidistant points from each other, so that the two leaves or halves can be folded together' booliwise, or, in the case of three parts, the two outside leaves will fold on either side of the center part. At the bottom of the screen 1, near one end, is a sliding pivot joint consisting of a collar 3 adapted to be turned upon and moved along a horizontal rail -t positioned below the level of the edge of the scuttle 5, and of an eye 6 secured to said screen and pivotally mounted upon a pin 7 fixed laterally to said collar, so as to enable the whole screen to be swung bodily edgewise on said pivot `for a certain dist-ance, after which the leaves of the screen are folded against each other into the position shown iu dotted lilies in Fig. l. The folded screen is then slid along the horizontal rail l before mentioned by means of its collar 3, until it reaches a position where it can be turned inward and under the scuttle, as shown in Fig. 3, and engaged with a supporting fork or spring clip 8, which prevents any undue vibration of the :folded screen during the travel of the car. A set screw S) may be employed to fix or secure the pivot joint iin place on the rail while the screen is under the scuttle. The rail l is arranged adjacent to the aforementioned scuttle edge and parallel with the same, and, also, with the lower edge of the screen when the latter is in its normal position. If the scuttle be, too small lto allow the screen to be folded and placed underneath it, the screen can be folded and turned down so as to occupy a vertical position at the front part of the. footboard.

The collar 3 of the pivot joint which carries the screen 1, as before explained, is formed with a portion l0 of square, hexagonal or equivalent shape which, when the screen l is erected for use, engages with a corresponding square or hexagonal boss 11 at the end of the guide rail 4 in such a manner as to securely hold said screen in upright position. A wing or thumb nut 12 on the screw threaded pin 7 of the collar may be used, if desired, for fixing the latter.

The screen, at its lower end, opposite to the sliding pivot joint, is formed with a right angled, curved, or diagonal slot 13 which is adaptedto receive a threaded pin 14 on the scuttle frame in order to hold that end ot the screen securely and prevent any tendency to rise or jump due to any vibrations of the car. Pin 14C carries a wing nut 15 to clamp the screen thereon.

In order to prevent rain and wind from passing down between the screen and the front of the scuttle, we may attach flaps or strips of rubber, leather, or the like either' to the screen or to the scutt-le in suoli a manner as to cover the gap between the screen and the scuttle. Gutters or grooves may be formed near the lower edge of the screen to drain off the rain toward the ends.

What we do claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a motor car screen, the combination, with a fixed rail; of a screen frame comprising a plurality of hinged sections `foldable upon each other; and a sliding pivot joint connection between said rail and one of the lower corners of said frame, said joint consist-ing of an eye provided upon one of said sections, a collar slidably and rotatably mounted upon said rail, and a pivot pin secured to said collar and passed through said eye.

2. In a motor car screen, the combination, with a fixed rail, of a screen frame comprising a plurality of hinged sections oldable upon each other, said frame having a sliding, turning and swinging connection at one of its lower corners wit-h said rail, and a slot formed in its other lower corner; and a pin removably engaged in said slot.

3. 1n a motor car screen, the combination, with a xed rail, and a collar slidably and rotatably mounted thereon; of a screen trame pivotally connected at one of its lower corners to said collar; and means for detachably supporting the other lower corner of said frame.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

JEROME FRANCIS KENNEDY. ERNEST NORBERT KENNEDY. Witnesses:

D. C. SMITH, WM. O. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

